Great Eggfly vs Larger Elm Leaf Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Eggfly Larger Elm Leaf Beetle
Scientific Name Hypolimnas bolina Monocesta coryli
Order Lepidoptera Coleoptera
Family Nymphalidae Chrysomelidae
Size 70-85 mm wingspan 12-16 mm
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions South and Southeast Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands, Madagascar Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Great Eggfly

A striking tropical butterfly in which males are jet black with large iridescent white-blue spots. Females are variable and often mimic toxic danaid butterflies.

💡

Did You Know?

Males are fiercely territorial, attacking birds, lizards, and even people who enter their patch.

Larger Elm Leaf Beetle

A robust, bright yellowish-orange beetle with darker wing tips that feeds on a variety of deciduous trees. When handled, it can release a blistering chemical secretion.

💡

Did You Know?

Its hemolymph contains cantharidin-like compounds that can cause skin blisters on contact, an unusual defense for a leaf beetle.